Page 19: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2026)

REEFERSHIPS

Snow Flake, second in the Kitanihon series engaged by Cool Carriers. The program reinforces longstanding relationships with the Japanese business community.

Image credit: Cool Carriers ot so long ago, it seemed that the unrelenting The last of ? ve record-breaking, E-class behemoths came march of containerization and ever-widening from Shikoku Dockyard at Takamatsu in 2025. The fol- in? uence of the powerful ocean container line low-on, current stage in the expansion of the Cool Carri- entities would ? nally usurp the conventional, ers-deployed ? eet has been entrusted to Kitanihon Ship- breakbulk refrigerated cargo vessel. However, building, located at Hachinohe in northernmost Honshu,

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Limassol, Cyprus-headquartered Cool Carriers, the larg- affording further testament to Japan’s sustained prowess in est operator in the sector, displays remarkable resilience the design and production of dedicated refrigerated cargo through consecutive programs of tonnage development. vessels. The program there entails the aforesaid seven ves-

Hard on the heels of a period of renewal centred on sels, the ? rst of which was handed over in March this year ? ve ships in the 900,000ft3 category, the highest-capacity as the 13,287gt Snow Flower, followed in June by sister- breakbulk reefers ever commissioned, the company has this ship Snow Flake. year received the ? rst two of seven con? rmed newbuilds in Snow Flower and Snow Flake each embody a tempera- the 630,000-670,000ft3 range. Moreover, a further batch ture-controlled cargo capacity of 637,700ft3, capable of of vessels is understood to be in the of? ng. stowing some 5,000 high-cube pallets of fruit. The sub-

Cool Carriers is a practitioner of the service principle sequent ? ve newbuilds will be somewhat larger, at around known as fast, direct and dedicated (FDD). This is an al- 670,000ft3, with one further delivery due before the end ternative and a challenge to routings via services run by the of 2026, and the remainder of the series expected through large ocean container lines, where overall transit times and the course of 2027 and 2028. overall costs can be higher for refrigerated consignments. Main hull dimensions are 158 metres length overall by

FDD is attuned to the particular time and handling sensi- 25 metres breadth, with a design draft of nearly nine me- tivities of fresh produce transportation and niche trades. By tres, or about 10 metres on summer marks. While cus- using specialized vessels on a direct voyage basis between tomized to owner and charterer requirements, the Snow ports with dedicated infrastructure, it offers shorter deliv- Flower type is based on the 630,000ft3 design template ery times and reduced handling, obviating transhipment, previously used by Kitanihon in four newbuilds completed and bestows seasonal ? exibility as to shipment volumes. during 2024 and 2025 and introduced by French producer

As well as operating more than 50 reefer vessels, Cool Compagnie Frutiere to services maintained by its UK lo-

Carriers has strengthened logistic capabilities by investing gistics subsidiary Africa Express Line (AEL). in cold storage facilities, as in Ecuador. Snow Flower and Snow Flake—adopting Salen nomen- www.marinelink.com 19

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